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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24041875">The Dark Path</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fuloki/pseuds/Fuloki'>Fuloki</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 16:08:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,801</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24041875</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fuloki/pseuds/Fuloki</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>An AU where Ahsoka goes with Maul instead of fighting him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Dark Path</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ahsoka reached out Anakin was fading, she could feel the darkness clawing at him trying to drown him. She didn’t want to believe Maul, she didn’t want everything she ever knew to collapse around her. It took her a second to realize that Maul had stopped taking and was still waiting with his hand outstretched toward her. She tried to read him, she could feel mostly the cold of pain and hatred eminating from him. But surprisingly there was some warmth, he was genuine in some aspects which ones she couldn’t grasp.</p>
<p>She opened her mouth to reply when a sharp pain shot through the force. She knew what it was, she had been both on the receiving end and the giving end, Anakin was blocking their bond. Protecting himself or her she could not tell, but this time it was more than blocking her. This time he was trying to sever it.</p>
<p>She dropped to the floor her lightsabers rolling slightly away from her. Her breathing felt restricted as she could feel Anakin slipping from her cries to him. The darkness was consuming him, as it was with everything. Ahsoka couldn’t process anything. All that was running through her mind was Sidious.</p>
<p>“You feel it don’t you? The darkside grows stronger. Join me before it’s too late to turn this around.” Maul said. Ahsoka looked at him, and then down at her lightsabers, she had to choose the right thing.</p>
<p>She wanted to pick the lightsabers up, fight Maul and capture him. Then race back to Courasaunt to hopefully talk to Anakin in time. Ahsoka knew that the time to talk to Anakin had passed, she had the chance to do so and passed on it. What she wanted was a happy ending. But she couldn’t see one in sight.</p>
<p>Ahsoka picked up her lightsabers, Maul tensed preparing to fight. To his surprise Ahsoka took the lightsabers and threw them out the window. “Do you have a plan?” She asked turning to the Zabrak expecting an answer.</p>
<p>“First we must get the Republic off of Mandolore.” He replied walking over to the window looking at the battle below.</p>
<p>Thousands of light years away Anakin Skywalker was storming through the senate building on his way to confront the Jedi about to kill the chancellor. He walked into the office and looked at the situation. Three bodies lay on the ground, holes still smoldering from where the lightsaber had impaled them. Anakin looked up to see Mace Windu standing over the supreme chancellor. The purple light from his lightsaber illuminating the room. </p>
<p> “You are under arrest.” Mace spoke in an accusatory tone. </p>
<p>“ Anakin! I told you it would come to this. I was right. The Jedi are taking over.” Palpatine called out for his young pupil to come to his rescue.</p>
<p>“ You old fool. The oppression of the Sith will never return. Your plot to regain control of the Republic is over . . . you have lost . . .”</p>
<p>Palpatine started sending bolts of lightning towards Mace who deflected them back towards the sith lord. The lightning surged towards Anakin and he drew his lightsaber to prepare to do something. He couldn’t think especially with both of the older men yelling at him. He was about to strike down Mace Windu, and end the Jedi for all when something changed.</p>
<p>Something, no someone. Someone close to Anakin Skywalker seemed different, darker. And then he was there. Standing among Mandalorians, smoke clouding his vision, clones shouting at each other, someone breathing down his neck. And just as quickly as he had been transported to Mandalore through his bond with Ahsoka he was transported back to the office in the Senate building.</p>
<p>Both Mace Windu and Palpatine were staring at him, both confused about why he hadn’t struck, why he had frozen. Anakin turned running past the wreckage of the office leaving Mace to deal with the Sith Lord. As soon as he stepped outside the office his com rang.</p>
<p>“Skywalker here.” He replied hoping that this wasn’t someone asking why he wasn’t in the council chambers.</p>
<p>“Sir, we’re loosing ground quickly. Bo Katan and her people have joined with Mauls forces. Do we pull off planet?”</p>
<p>“Pull back somewhere safe Rex I’m on my way. Skywalker out.” Anakin didn’t ask about Ahsoka, he didn’t want to know. He didn’t want to accept that she would go dark. He couldn’t accept it.</p>
<p>He was so lost in his thoughts he ran into someone causing himself to fall down. “Sorry!” He said starting to walk off embarrassed.</p>
<p>“Anakin honey? Is everything alright?” Padme asked clearly upset that he wasn’t looking where he was going.</p>
<p>“Mandalore burning, Ahsoka and Rex in trouble. Oh and Palpatine is a Sith Lord.” Anakin said giving Padme a kiss on the cheek “Got to hurry.” He said before starting to run off again.</p>
<p>“Anakin wait!” Padme called out to no avail, as her husband had already disappeared from view.</p>
<p>Anakin felt bad for leaving Padme there without much of an explanation but right now he had to get to Mandalore before it was too late. He needed to get to Ahsoka before it was too late.</p>
<p>
  <b>*ten minutes earlier*</b>
</p>
<p>“Deadshot, Tips get those rocket launchers up there now!” Rex shouted over the barrage of blaster fire Mauls troops were sending.</p>
<p>“Cap.. commander!” Haste yelled, “We just lost Pik, and Fille.”</p>
<p><em>Damn it</em>, Rex thought. They were sustaining heavy losses, too heavy to keep this up for much longer. <em>Come on commander hurry up.</em></p>
<p>“Commander! Bogs is down.” Rex grimaced, he didn’t know who said that, most likely one of the few shinies that they had taken with them.</p>
<p>“Find Cover!” He yelled as another barrage of rockets came racing towards them. He dove out of the way in time, unfortunately the few shinies behind him weren’t so lucky. Smoke filled the air around them, ashes falling from the sky.</p>
<p>Rex had seen many battles, but none quite like this one. Maybe it was the excitement of having an old friend back or perhaps the knowledge that his bloodline had come from this planet. Either way the adrenaline pumped through him and despite sustaining heavy losses he was feeling alright. As alright as someone made for canon fodder in a battle could be.</p>
<p>“Commander look out!” Someone yelled, Rex looked up to see an object careening through the air at high speeds. Rex stepped aside as the object fell to the ground, with a familiar clang. He didn’t need to look down to know exactly what had fallen from the sky.</p>
<p>“Does anybody have eyes on Commander Tano?” He asked over the roar of the battle. He silently cursed as a barrage of “Negitive” and “No Sir” came from troopers over the coms at once. Scooping up the light saber he held it in his hand. For a second he thought about igniting the blade using it like they had taught him. But then Haste came running up to him.</p>
<p>“Sir! The Mandalorians on our side have disappeared.”</p>
<p>“What?” Rex said, “that’s just not possible.” He was about to say something snarky when he saw the thermal detonator flying through the air. Scatter!” He yelled running away from the blast radius.</p>
<p>Suddenly several of Bo Katans people started to send blaster fire towards the group of clones. The clones reacted immediately to the attack countering the best they could with the exhausted forces. Rex analyzed the situation. They were going to be trapped if they didn’t move quickly.</p>
<p>“Haste!” Rex said motioning the other over near him. The other clone nodded, both clones found cover under a small overhang from one of the buildings “I need to make a few holo calls, pull the men back and try to rescue as many injured as possible.”</p>
<p>“Sir?”</p>
<p>“Just listen to me kid now is not the time to debate orders.” Haste nodded and ran off relaying orders through his helmet coms. Rex pressed a button on his holocommunicator. “Mac you there?”</p>
<p>“Yes Commander.” Mac replied.</p>
<p>“Does he need reinforcements Mac?” A voice from out of view said. To which Mac responded by chucking a ration bar at the trooper.</p>
<p>“Mac I need you to start evac from the field.”</p>
<p>“Sir? Is the battle over already.”</p>
<p>“Negitive it’s taken a turn for the worse.”</p>
<p>“But sir...”</p>
<p>“Mac please now is not the time.” Rex said</p>
<p>“Do you need reinforcements?” Jesse asked popping into view.</p>
<p>Rex rolled his eyes behind his helmet “Help Mac Jesse.”</p>
<p>“Siryessir.” Jesse grumbled.</p>
<p>Rex shook his head once the holo communicator turned off in his hand. He took a deep breath, he didn’t want to make this call but it was better if it was done now rather than latter.</p>
<p>“Skywalker Here.” The com said after a second of silence.</p>
<p>“Sir, we’re loosing ground quickly. Bo Katan and her people have joined with Mauls forces. Do we pull off planet?” Rex said eyeing how his troops were doing in the battle.</p>
<p>“Pull back somewhere safe Rex I’m on my way. Skywalker out.” Rex was about to reply when the general cut it off. Rex surveyed the field as he dashed to rejoin the fight.</p>
<p>“What did the general say?” Haste asked.</p>
<p>“He told us to pull back.”</p>
<p>“Off planet right?”</p>
<p>“Now is not the time Haste.” Rex said backing up and nearly tripping over a cylindrical object behind him. Rex scooped it up almost on autopilot and started barking retreat orders as the Mandalorians started coming towards them faster and harder.</p>
<p>“What are they doing?” Maul asked as he and Ahsoka watched the battle below.</p>
<p>“They’re retreating.” Ahsoka said, stuck in thought about the tactic.</p>
<p>“Highly treasonous.” Maul almost sang, “Pity you and the Commander seemed close.”</p>
<p>Ahsoka’s hand instinctively reached for her lightsabers, not the best move considering neither one was there and her alliance with Maul was tenuous at best. “They wouldn’t be retreating without someone telling them it was alright.”</p>
<p>“Can you be certain of that?” Maul asked.</p>
<p>“What are you playing at.” Ahsoka shot back.</p>
<p>“Nothing in particular, other than trying to teach you not to be so trusting in the systems of old.”</p>
<p>Ahsoka was about to ask what Maul was talking about when she felt Anakin prying at their connection trying to get an answer from her. She refused to open the bond, terrified of what might be lying in wait on the other side. “He’s coming.” She informed Maul.</p>
<p>“Who?” Bo Katan asked landing behind the pair of force users.</p>
<p>“No one.” Ahsoka quickly shot, hoping that it was convincing enough that the Mandalorian didn’t question it.</p>
<p>Bo Katan changed posture, in a way eerily similar to the clones. Ahsoka could easily tell she was frowning “It’s Sidious isn’t it?” She asked.</p>
<p>“How..” Ahsoka started but Maul held his hand up.</p>
<p>“I assume you came here to update us on the battle and not make small talk?” He snapped.</p>
<p>“My loyalty lies with Ahsoka, do not forget that Maul.” Bo Katan replied, “The clones have pulled back, they’re at a safe distance for now, should we press the attack?”</p>
<p>“Y...”</p>
<p>“No, I want you to gather your forces, set them up along the main route. Out of sight but close enough for an ambush.” Bo Katan nodded slightly and took off.</p>
<p>Maul waited until she was out of earshot before speaking again “What are you thinking?” His tone was suspicious.</p>
<p>“We’re letting them come to us.”</p>
<p>Maul started laughing, “do you know how bad an idea that is my apprentice...”he stopped as he felt Ahsoka raise his own lightsaber against his neck.</p>
<p>“I am not your apprentice.” Ahsoka said dryly.</p>
<p>“You agreed to help me stop Sidious.”</p>
<p>“Agreed to help, after Sidious is gone I want nothing to do with you.”</p>
<p>Maul snarled, “As I was saying that is a bad idea.”</p>
<p>“I never said Sidious was coming did I?” Ahsoka asked deactivating the lightsaber and handing it back to Maul who was left gasping at the teens gall. “You don’t have another lightsaber do you? I wasn’t really thinking earlier.” Ahsoka stepped back nearly falling over, Anakin was coming closer and was trying to force his way back in, she didn’t dare let him in, but trying to sever the bond would cause damage to both of them. Maul looked on as Ahsoka struggled to regain control, he knew who was coming and he wasn’t sure what to expect.</p>
<p>“R2, take over the ship, I’m gonna try and reach out to her again.” The droid whistled a reply “Yes I’m sure.” Another beep. “That’s why I’m asking you to take over the ship bud.”</p>
<p>Anakin sighed, Ahsoka had pushed his last two attempts away and he was starting to exhaust himself. She was avoiding him and all he could sense from her was fear. Fear of what exactly was unknown to him but he hoped she would enlighten him. He closed his eyes and started to listen to the gentle hums of his fighter. A slight squeak could be heard from the hyperspace ring, he would have to figure that out the next time he could.</p>
<p>Anakin took a breath and let the force in. It hummed gently in response something Anakin had come to recognize as a friendly hello. He hummed a response a comforting habit to try and ignore the cold empty void the force encompassed. The force wasn’t cold, it couldn’t be, but what lay beyond the barrier no one knew. The void sung to Anakin sweet and melodic, eerily similar to the singing of his wife. And he had listened, for a second he had broken that barrier of the force. He knew it wasn’t the darkside, the darkside was a different place but not the void. Either way an hour ago he had breached into the unknown, it was lonely dark and suffocating.</p>
<p>He sighed letting a breath out, he had to focus. He searched through the trillions of streams of thoughts and actions. Some loud and deafening, some nearly silent. He went deeper into the meditation sorting through the voices. There was a kid thinking about flying like the pilots she had seen above her home planet, a tired farmer returning to his wife and two kids, a young man writing a speech. A “Has anyone seen him?” In a thick courasaunt accent broke through, a gutty laugh, a disgruntled admiral. Anakin went deeper still, shutting off as many distractions as possible, and finally amidst the chaos on Mandalore he found her.</p>
<p>Anakin took a breath, this time he wouldn’t try to fight his way in, he didn’t want her to get hurt. Instead he asked the force to gently knock on her walls. He paused for a moment waiting for her to answer to the force. She opened the door and the next thing he knew they were sitting across from each other under the ancient tree in the temple courtyard. This was their spot, the first memory they had created here cemented their bond and in turn was where they would talk to each other through the force. He was surprised that this was indeed the surrounding for their meeting, the memory was now bittersweet and he had expected her to hold it with some sort of contempt. But then it dawned on him, she wasn’t meditating, all she knew was the force was sending her something. Ahsoka very likely had her eyes open and was doing things she shouldn’t be.</p>
<p>“Ahsoka.” The vision figure turned attentively but chose not to say anything, “Please let me talk to you.”</p>
<p>“Why?” The figure said calmly “There isn’t really anything to talk about.”</p>
<p>Anakin felt a pang if guilt, this wasn’t the memory he was thinking of. This was much latter he could see that now, the figure set in front of him was about seventeen, to young to be in the here and now, and much too old for this to be an actual talk. “Sure there is.”</p>
<p>“There really isn’t Anakin. What’s done is done.”</p>
<p>Anakin paused, this was where the conversation had gone bad, this is where countless nights he spent trying to rectify it in his head. Nothing could change the conversation now, it was in the past, as was his bond with Ahsoka he feared. He took a breath and one last look at the figure in front of him before letting go.</p>
<p>He opened his eyes, the barren surface of Mandalore reflected its sun’s light back into space. The only ship in space was a cruiser, his cruiser he knew. Even with the minimal cloud cover he couldn’t tell if there were ships in the atmosphere. He sighed time to face whatever was down there, it was time to finally let go.</p>
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